An Ogun state born philanthropist and international businessman, Otunba Adejare Adegbenro has thrown his weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari over the choice of method to ease the lockdown in the country, describing it as the best option to save the nation’s economy from going completely comatose.
Adejare Adegbenro is the grandson of the first Republic Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Dauda S. Adegbenro (paternally), and grandson of the late Pa Alfred Rewane, the financier of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), that fought the military juntas to a standstill.
He is the first Otunbalaje of Owu Kingdom as well as the first Asiwaju Ogbenioja of Awowoland, Ewekoro, Owu kingdom, all in Ogun State. In addition, he is the founder and Financial of Adejare Adegbenro Foundation, an NGO he floated to assist humanity and contribute his quotas to the development of his people and the state.
In a media chat in Lagos, the younger Adegbenro said, President Buhari’s speech last week Tuesday clearly indicated that his administration has adopted a method known as Herd Immunity Strategy that would ginger the weak, who are prone to coronavirus attack to get stronger for survival.
“By Herd Immunity Strategy, the virus will kill the weakest in the society while the strongest will develop immunity against the virus. That is what Sweden is doing and Nigeria has just adopted that model. People will contract the virus, they will either die or recover but the economy will keep going and the rest of the people will eventually develop immunity against it,” he submitted.
The concerned High Chief stated that, “this is, regrettably, our new reality,” declaring that, “if I was in Buhari’s shoes, I would do same.”
President Buhari’s resolve to adopt that model, Adegbenro said, “is okay by me because there is no alternative again to fight this virus,” adding, it does not make sense at this point to continue keeping the economy grounded in the face of glaring hunger and imminent job losses.
“Since Nigeria is not so rich to continue to shut down the economy and at the same time continue to feed the hungry citizens and having run out of options on how to tackle Corona virus, Nigeria does not have any other alternative than to ease off the biting lockdown by adopting the Herd Immunity Strategy Model,” declared the successful entrepreneur.
The successful entrepreneur maintained that, “our strategy to move forwards against the deadly disease ravaging the whole world would remain only strict adherence to wearing of face masks and observing high level of hygienic conducts.
He therefore strongly advised that, “when you are going out from Monday, May 4, do all you can to make sure you will not be among the weak that will contract this Chinese disease and die. Protect yourselves. Work from home always if you can and build your immune system up.”
In a related development, the Director General of Adejare Adegbenro Foundation, Alhaji Mutiu Amoje has disclosed that the Foundation has been assisting the community with essential facilities like boreholes, free eyes test and treatment, feeding of the less privilege among others.
“Right now, we are distributing palliatives to the less privileged people to cushion the effect of hardship and hunger occasioned but the lockdown against the spread of COVID-19. And we have reached as far as Alake and Olowu Palaces as well as Ifo and Ewekoro Local Government areas of Ogun State,”Amoje disclosed.
According to him, the distribution is which he said isa continuous one has got to the journalists and various Media Houses, adding that, other aspects of life like education, health and financial assistance to the needy are integral aspects of the Foundation, asserting that, “ours is a Non-Governmental and Non-Profitable organisation.”
